I think I’m ready to make my first Zeagle purchase.

[ScubaFireDiver]

I think I’m ready to make my first Zeagle purchase.
Right now I have my Open Water, and plan on taking my Advance here within the next couple of months. Most of my dives are local springs and with some boat dives here and there. I take a lot of cruises and already have two planned before February with 3, 2 tanks dives each. I would honestly say I will dive 1-2 a month with 2 tanks average.

I know for sure I want the Zeagle Stiletto, as the reviews are outstanding, but not 100% sure on the regulator. I found a brand new package that comes with the Zeagle Stiletto, Zeagle Flathead 7 Regulator, and a Zeagle Octo-z. Price is a hair over 1k. Reviews on every one of these products are outstanding. My problem is I don’t know if this is overkill for the diving I plan on doing.

What are your thoughts on this set up, and should I peace my kit together with a lower end Zeagle products, or buy the pre built setup?


Thanks.

 

[Teller]

Pm sent

 

[fishb0y]

Just curious, why are you limiting yourself to Zeagle? I will admit that I am no longer a fan of Zeagle.

 

[ScubaFireDiver]

I have dove with it nerous of times, and really liked the BC. I have worn one other BC that I rented but I dont remember the brand.

 

[fishb0y]

Just a suggestion, before you spend a ton of money on a zeagle, at least try out a BP/W setup (any manufacturer). Being in Tampa, I'm sure you could throw a stone and hit at least 3 shops that would let you borrow/rent one.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

FWIW: The reviews on scuba gear are always good, more to do with advertising budget than anything else.

That said, I have owned several Zeagle products and the quality and design have been good. I sold one off because it did not fit my needs (too big to travel with). The Stiletto should not have that issue, but it is expensive. I dive a Zeagle Express Tech which a cost less than Stiletto, its more of a KISS (Keep it simple, stupid!) concept. Edit: The express tech is a soft back plate and wing, optimized for travel (very light).

 

[ScubaFireDiver]

A lot of people keep saying this. What set up do you use?

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I did my OW checkout dives plus a few dozen more in a very nice used Stiletto LTD I grabbed for a good price. Great BC, allowed for good horizontal trim, a funtional if clumsy easy-ditch integrated weight system, and well made with good customer service backing it up.

That said, I sold it as soon as I started researching BP/W rigs. I picked the Zeagle because it was relatively minimalist, back inflate, and rugged. A standard hogarthian rigged BP/W turned out to be better at all of that than the Zeagle was, and then some. And because they're simple pieces of gear, cheaper or used BP and harnesses and cambands and such are all just as functional as the $700 Halcyon wonders. Wings... quality matters more, and I'd personally spend the money for a new DSS or Halcyon wing if I was new.

My current single tank rig:

• Used Halcyon stainless steel BP, with storage pak and harness, off either here or eBay: cost a bit less than $100 including shipping;
• Used Halcyon Pioneer 27 wing with DSS OPV: cost about $180 including shipping for the wing, another $25 or so for the DSS upgraded OPV. You can get a very similar new wing with great customer service from DSS, the Torus 26, for $305.

Total cost: $305 or so for my rig, or around $400 if you buy everything but the wing used. Cheaper if you buy used gear that doesn't have the markup that Halcyon gear commands... but I'm a sucker for the finish on their plates. Looks something like this with a necklaced backup, longhose primary regulator:



That's it for single tank diving in a 3mm or lighter exposure protection! No extra weight needed, these types of wings don't require STAs, and the harness has all the attachment points and retainers you need. Want to add more? No problem: just buy some extra d-rings and triglides and/or bungiee and you're good to go.

Before you spend any money on a BCD, do some reading here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hogarthian-diving/

 

[fishb0y]

I'm a fan of Deep Sea Supply (deepseasupply.com). Really though, the best thing to do is to dive a BP/W before spending the money. I personally would get a higher performing regulator. HOG makes some great regulators at a lower price.

 

[ScubaFireDiver]

I did my OW checkout dives plus a few dozen more in a very nice used Stiletto LTD I grabbed for a good price. Great BC, allowed for good horizontal trim, a funtional if clumsy easy-ditch integrated weight system, and well made with good customer service backing it up.

That said, I sold it as soon as I started researching BP/W rigs. I picked the Zeagle because it was relatively minimalist, back inflate, and rugged. A standard hogarthian rigged BP/W turned out to be better at all of that than the Zeagle was, and then some. And because they're simple pieces of gear, cheaper or used BP and harnesses and cambands and such are all just as functional as the $700 Halcyon wonders. Wings... quality matters more, and I'd personally spend the money for a new DSS or Halcyon wing if I was new.

My current single tank rig:

• Used Halcyon stainless steel BP, with storage pak and harness, off either here or eBay: cost a bit less than $100 including shipping;
• Used Halcyon Pioneer 27 wing with DSS OPV: cost about $180 including shipping for the wing, another $25 or so for the DSS upgraded OPV. You can get a very similar new wing with great customer service from DSS, the Torus 26, for $305.

Total cost: $305 or so for my rig, or around $400 if you buy everything but the wing used. Cheaper if you buy used gear that doesn't have the markup that Halcyon gear commands... but I'm a sucker for the finish on their plates.

That's it for single tank diving in a 3mm or lighter exposure protection! No extra weight needed, these types of wings don't require STAs, and the harness has all the attachment points and retainers you need. Want to add more? No problem: just buy some extra d-rings and triglides and/or bungiee and you're good to go.

Before you spend any money on a BCD, do some reading here: Hogarthian Diving

Thans for the awesome write up. I will deff be calling my LDS where I got my cert to see if they can help me a little more before making the buy. I will do a lot more reading tonight between a normal BCD and a BP/W setup.

I'm a fan of Deep Sea Supply (deepseasupply.com). Really though, the best thing to do is to dive a BP/W before spending the money. I personally would get a higher performing regulator. HOG makes some great regulators at a lower price.

Thanks for the input..

You are saying the Hog is a higher performing reg then the Zeagle Flathead?